1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a front end of a truck or trailer body.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Various provisions have heretofore been proposed to reduce the dynamic drag of the body.
This has included rounding the front end as in the U.S. Patents to FOSTER, No. 2,322,841; THERIAULT, No. 2,441,106; RIDGEWAY, No. 2,621,059; GREENE, No. 4,206,715; and WILSON, No. 2,471,917, but this results in loss of space in the interior.
It has also been proposed to round the front corners of the body as shown in the U.S. Patents to POWELL, No. 2,489,670; TORSETH, No. 2,600,146; BROWN, No. 4,222,606, and CRAVENS HOMALLOY, German Pat. No. 25 02 383, but the corner constructions are not readily removable.
POWELL, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,489,670, shows a body for wheeled vehicles which, as shown in FIG. 9, taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 2, has a vertical corner construction with a base frame 5, panels 1 and 2 between which the corner construction is interposed with bolts 15 holding the panels and the corner construction in assembled relation. The outer cover sheet 16 (FIG. 9) is arcuate, extends across the edges of each of the panels 1 and 2, and has portions 20X concentric with the cover sheet 16 and curved plates 20xx. In order to change the sheet 16, if it were damaged, it would be necessary to remove the bolts 15 which would essentially require disassembly of the panels 1 and 2.
TORSETH, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,140, shows a commercial truck body which is very similar in its joining of a side panel to a roof panel to the structure of POWELL.
BROWN, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,606, shows a truck body and in FIG. 3, has a rear vertical corner construction for joining a rear side panel 11 and an end panel 65. Removal of the corner extrusion 51 for replacement and into which the panels 11 and 65 are received would be virtually impossible.
CREVENS HORMALLY, in German Pat. No. 25 02 383, shows a vertical corner extrusion 14 in which the side panel 10 and the front panel 12 are received and secured. Removal of the corner extrusion 14 would be virtually impossible.
None of the prior art patents referred to above show a readily removable corner post construction for easy replacement in the event of damage, nor of diagonally disposed front lights, nor for relief of air pressure at the upper part of the front wall, nor for a light weight lower front end construction.